Enhanced gas sensing properties of chemiresistors based on ZnO nanorods electrodecorated with Au and Pd nanoparticles

Colloidal Au and Pd nanoparticles (NPs) were directly electrochemically synthesized, by sacrificial anode electrolysis (SAE), on hydrothermal ZnO nanostructures, previously desiccated; further, the functionalized ZnO nanostructures were subjected to thermal annealing at 550°C to obtain stable ZnO nanorods (NRs), superficially decorated by naked metal NPs. The both pristine and metal functionalized ZnO NRs were proposed as active layer in chemiresistive sensors for environmental monitoring to detect pollutant gases (e.g. NO2, C4H10).